Providing a cutting area with web-like interleaver material

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method for a multitrack provision of web-like interleaved sheet material at a cutting region in which products supplied on multiple tracks are cut into slices and interleaved sheets are introduced which are cut off from the provided interleaved sheet material in the cutting region and for which a normal length is predefined which is dependent on the respective application, in which material webs are removed from at least two material stores which are each associated with one or more tracks; and in which the material consumption of at least one material store is impacted during operation, in particular in dependence on residual quantities in the material stores, in that the length of the interleaved sheets is varied in the respective track or tracks with respect to the normal length at least for this material store.

The invention relates to an apparatus for a multitrack provision ofweb-like interleaved sheet material at a cutting region in whichproducts supplied on multiple tracks are cut into slices and interleavedsheets are introduced which are cut off from the provided interleavedsheet material in the cutting region and for which a normal length ispredefined which is dependent on the respective application. In thismethod, material webs are removed from at least two material storeswhich are each associated with one or more tracks.

Such methods and apparatus for their execution are generally known inthe field of the slicing of food products.

In the cutting region, slices cut off from the products can consequentlybe provided with the interleaved sheets introduced into the cuttingregion. In this respect, either interleaved sheets can be introducedbetween a respective two directly consecutive slices or interleavedsheets can be introduced beneath a respective slice and thus betweenthis slice and a support surface of this slice. A respective interleavedsheet is then, for example, located beneath the lowest slice of aportion on the formation of portions from a plurality of slices. Such anunderleaver function, however, does not preclude that, on the formationof portions, a respective interleaved sheet is not only disposed beneaththe lowest slice, but one or more interleaved sheets are also introducedbetween a respective two consecutive slices within the portion.Independently of whether an underleaver function is provided or not, arespective interleaved sheet can generally be introduced within aportion either between each pair of directly consecutive slices or onlybetween one or more pairs of directly consecutive slices, e.g. betweenevery nth pair, where n>1.

Such apparatus are generally known in the field of the slicing of foodproducts and are also called interleavers or underleavers. Aninterleaver can in this respect—as mentioned above—also perform anunderleaver function and vice versa. The present disclosure thereforenot only applies to the interleavers primarily explained here or to theprovision of interleaved sheets or interleaved sheet material, but alsoto so-called underleavers which serve to place a sheet beneath products.It is ensured by such an underleaved sheet feed that at least the totallower side of the products does not directly lie on a support surface,for example, on a conveying device. When only the term “interleaver” isused in each case in the following, the respective statements and therespective disclosure—where sensible—will also apply to an“underleaver”. As already mentioned, one and the same apparatus for theprovision of interleaved sheet material or of interleaved sheets canperform both an interleaver function and an underleaver function independence on the respective application, i.e. an interleaver issimultaneously also an underleaver, and vice versa, within the frameworkof this disclosure.

If the interleaved sheet material should be provided at the cuttingregion for a plurality of tracks, a material web is required at thecutting region for each track. It is possible to provide a commonmaterial store for a plurality of tracks. To produce individual materialwebs, a device can be provided for dividing the material web which formsthe respective material store into the required number of individualmaterial webs. This is generally known. The material stores can inparticular each be a rotatably supported material roll.

The invention also relates to an apparatus for a multitrack slicing offood products, having a product feed which simultaneously suppliesproducts to be sliced to a cutting region in which a cutting blade movesin a rotating and/or revolving manner to simultaneously cut the suppliedproducts into slices; and having an interleaver or underleaver inaccordance with the invention.

Such cutting apparatus are also called slicers or high-speed slicers,the latter against the background that bar-like or loaf-like foodproducts can e.g. be sliced by such machines at high cutting speeds ofseveral hundred to some thousand slices per minute. In manyapplications, stacked or overlapping portions are, for example, formedfrom the cut-off slices falling onto a support surface e.g. formed by aportioning belt. An interleaver, for example, serves to introduceinterleaved sheets between directly consecutive slices of a portion sothat the slices can later be separated from one another and/or grippedmore easily. Paper or a plastic film, for example, serves as thematerial for the interleaved sheets.

In accordance with the progress in the development of cutting machines,in particular with respect to speed, accuracy and variety, ever higherdemands are also made on the interleavers or underleavers. Knowninterleaver or underleaver concepts which generally provide satisfactoryresults frequently no longer meet these increased demands.

There is consequently a need for an improved interleaver or underleavertechnology in particular in the field of the slicing of food products bymeans of high-speed slicers. In particular the operation of interleaversor underleavers on multiple tracks and individually per track is moreand more in the foreground.

It is a problem of the known multitrack interleavers or underleaversthat the individual material stores are frequently consumed at differentspeeds. Different times for replenishing the stores, e.g. by replacingthe material rolls, result from this. For instance, it may occur that amaterial roll has to be replaced in a track and that the operation ofthe interleaver or underleaver, and consequently also of the slicer, hasto be interrupted for this purpose although work could be continued inthe other interleaver or underleaver tracks. Time losses hereby occurwhich result in a disadvantageous reduction of the product throughput ofthe slicer. This is in particular problematic when a material roll whichis not directly accessible has to be replaced. In an interleaver orunderleaver comprising more than two material rolls, it is also notpossible to provide a remedy here in that an accessibility from twosides is provided, which would anyway frequently not be able to becarried out in practice for other reasons.

It is therefore the object of the invention to improve the multitrackprovision of web-like interleaved sheet material to the extent thatoperating interruptions of the interleaver or underleaver due to thefilling of the material stores are minimized.

This object is satisfied by the features of the independent claims.

Provision is made in the method in accordance with the invention thatthe material consumption of at least one material store is impactedduring operation, in particular in dependence on residual quantities inthe material stores or on already consumed quantities, in that thelength of the interleaved sheets is varied in the respective track ortracks with respect to the normal length at least for this materialstore.

The material consumption in the respective track is so-to-say“artificially” increased or decreased by the invention in order thuse.g. to approximate the material consumption of the tracks to oneanother over a specific period of time or with respect to a specificfuture point in time. It can hereby be achieved that a consumption statefor which a simultaneous filling of all the material stores is sensibleresults for all the material stores. Only one single operatinginterruption of the interleaver or underleaver and thus of the cuttingprocess overall is consequently required for filling all the materialstores.

The invention utilizes the circumstance that, with respect to thepurpose of the interleaved sheets and with respect to the acceptance ofthe arrangement of slices and interleaved sheets among customers, slightdeviations from the normal length—in particular since they are hardlyvisible or identifiable—are not problematic, on the one hand, and, onthe other hand, add up to a relevant increase or decrease of thematerial consumption in the respective track due to the large number ofinterleaved sheets that can be achieved by a material store in practice.

It can be sufficient to impact the material consumption in the manner inaccordance with the invention in only one of the tracks. Alternatively,provision can be made that an impact on the consumption in accordancewith the invention is carried out for each track during operation.

In the apparatus in accordance with the invention for the multitrackprovision of web-like interleaved sheet material, at least two materialstores, in particular rotatably supported material rolls, are provided,wherein the material stores are each associated with one or more tracksand the individual material webs can be removed from the materialstores. Furthermore, the material consumption of at least one materialstore can be impacted by an internal or external control device duringoperation, in particular in dependence on the residual quantities in thematerial stores or on the already consumed quantities, in that thelength of the interleaved sheets is variable in the respective track ortracks with respect to the normal length at least for this materialstore.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are also set forth in thedependent claims, in the description and in the drawing.

In accordance with an embodiment, the length of the interleaved sheetsis varied in that the time period is changed during which the respectivematerial web is ejected into the cutting region and/or the speed ischanged at which the respective material web is ejected into the cuttingregion. The ejection time period can be shortened or lengthened withrespect to a time period corresponding to the normal length by changingthe starting point in time and/or the end point in time for the ejectionof the material web which in particular takes place at a constantejection speed. The ejection duration can consequently simply bepredefined by a correspondingly long switch-on time of an output devicewhich effects the ejection of the material web into the cutting region.

In particular if the interleaved sheets are cut off in the cuttingregion by means of the cutting blade which also cuts off the productslices, a situation results in this procedure in which the change in thelength of the interleaved sheets only has an effect at the free end ofthe material web which is at the front in the ejection direction. Nochanges with respect to a situation in which all the interleaved sheetshave the same normal length therefore result at the rear end of theinterleaved sheets. In other words, in this procedure, the interleavedsheets are aligned with one another at their ends which are at the rearin the ejection direction. In a portion comprising slices disposedexactly above one another, all the interleaved sheets consequentlyproject equally far to the rear from the portion. It is hereby ensuredthat the user not only finds a visually appealing appearance at least atthis portion side, but that the purpose of the interleaved sheets isalso provided, namely to ensure that the product slices can be easilyseparated from one another and gripped by the consumer.

In accordance with a further embodiment, the length of the interleavedsheets is varied to the extent that the residual quantities in thematerial stores are at least approximately the same size, and indeedeither at all times or at the latest when an additional condition hasbeen satisfied.

The additional condition can, for example, comprise the fact that thematerial stores have at least largely been consumed or that a predefinedor predefinable value for the residual quantities has been reached orthat a specific situation, in particular a foreseeable situation, whichrelates to the cutting operation is present. It is thus, for example,possible to aim at a state having residual quantities which are at leastapproximately the same size in the material stores at a time for whichthe end of a batch of products to be sliced is expected.

Provision can furthermore be made in accordance with the invention thatthe length of the interleaved sheets is varied such that the residualquantities in the material stores tend toward being the same size.

Provision can furthermore be made in accordance with the invention thatthe length of the interleaved sheets is varied in time. The deviation ofthe length of the interleaved sheets from the normal length consequentlydoes not have to be constant in time in a respective track. Theinvention is consequently not limited to only predefining a constantlength deviation for a track for a specific operating period. For eachtrack, the length deviation can rather be a variable which can bechanged in time and which is selected at all times such that therespective goal which is aimed at can be achieved safely and reliably.

The possibility of varying the length of the interleaved sheets in timedoes not preclude that at least some directly consecutive interleavedsheets each have the same length which differs from the normal length.Thus, provision can, for example, be made in accordance with anembodiment of the invention that the length of the interleaved sheets isvaried such that the interleaved sheets have the same length within arespective portion comprising a plurality of slices having interleavedsheets. In other words, the length of the interleaved sheets is not, forexample, varied slice-wise within a portion here, but a change in thelength of the interleaved sheets takes place portion-wise in each case,wherein either a length change is carried out after the completion ofeach portion or the length remains constant over a plurality ofportions.

A length of the interleaved sheets which is constant within a portionensures a visually appealing appearance of the portion.

It is generally possible in accordance with the invention to eitherincrease or decrease the length of the interleaved sheets with respectto the normal length, i.e. to so-to-say “artificially” increase orreduce the material consumption in the respective track. Provision is,however, made in accordance with a preferred embodiment that thematerial consumption is only impacted by reducing the normal length.This is in particular the case when the portions are placed in packagingdepressions whose maximum extents determine the maximum size of theportions. In this case, an increase in the normal length could have theresult that the portions no longer fit into the provided packagingdepressions. If, for example, the material consumption is too low in afirst track with respect to a second track, the material consumption isnot, for instance, increased in the first track in this respect byraising the normal length, but the material consumption is ratherdecreased in the second track by reducing the normal length.

If no increase in the normal length is provided, it is ensured that theinterleaved sheets do not project too far from the respective portion,which would otherwise impair the appearance of the portion and couldalso make the insertion of the respective portion into a packaging moredifficult.

Alternatively, it is possible to impact the material consumption byraising the normal length, and indeed either exclusively or in additionto a reduction of the normal length for at least one of the othermaterial stores.

In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, provision canbe made that the length of the interleaved sheets is reduced such thatthe front end of at least one interleaved sheet or of some interleavedsheets is disposed between the respective directly adjacent slices. Atthe corresponding side of a portion comprising a plurality of sliceshaving interleaved sheets, such interleaved sheets do not project fromthe portion. This does not have to be of disadvantage and can even beadvantageous if it is desired to keep the visibility of the interleavedsheets as low as possible. In particular if—as already mentionedabove—the interleaved sheets are cut off in the cutting region by meansof the cutting blade which also cuts off the respective slice from theproduct, it is namely already so-to-say automatically ensured at therear side of the respective portion that the interleaved sheets projectfrom the portion and can satisfy their purpose of enabling an easyseparation and gripping of consecutive product slices.

In dependence on the properties of the respective product slices, it maybe possible for the consumer to also separate the slices from oneanother and to grip them without interleaved sheets projecting in thelongitudinal direction, i.e. it may be sufficient for the separabilityof the slices if the interleaved sheets are each completely locatedbetween the slices, viewed in the longitudinal direction. An overhang ofthe interleaved sheets in the longitudinal direction is also notrequired if the material webs are each wider than the slices and alateral overhang of the interleaved sheets is thereby present whichenables a separation and gripping of the slices for the consumer. Theproperties of the product slices are not important in this respect.

A calculation of the previous material consumption of at least onematerial store can, for example, serve as a basis for an impact on thematerial consumption. This calculation can, for example, be based ondata of one or more components, e.g. of the drive or drives, of aremoval device by means of which the material web is removed from therespective material store.

Provision can furthermore be made in accordance with the invention thatresidual quantities in the material stores are determined by means of ameasurement device and are communicated to a control device. The controldevice can be a control device which is integrated into the interleaveror underleaver and which can communicate with a higher-ranking controldevice which in particular belongs to a slicer. Alternatively, theinterleaver or underleaver can be configured to provide the data of themeasurement device to a higher-ranking or common control device of theslicer, wherein this control device then coordinates the slicing of theproducts and the provision of the interleaved sheet materialindividually per track, including the impact in accordance with theinvention on the material consumption in at least one of the tracks.

Provision can alternatively be made that the respective diameter of amaterial roll forming the material store is measured as a measure forresidual quantities in the material stores. Alternatively oradditionally, the respective weight of the material store can bedetermined as a measure for residual quantities in the material stores.A further possibility of determining a measure for residual quantitiesin the material stores comprises measuring the respective length of thematerial web which passed through a measurement point arrangeddownstream of the material store. Furthermore, provision canalternatively or additionally be made that a respective parameter of aremoval device which removes the material web from the material store ismeasured as a measure for residual quantities in the material stores.The parameter can, for example, be the number of revolutions of at leastone component of the removal device, ultimately therefore the result ofa distance measurement or the power consumption of the removal device. Adifferent kind of distance measurement can also provide the parameter.

In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, at least someportions which each comprise a plurality of slices having interleavedsheets are checked as to whether the length changes of the interleavedsheets are within predefinable or predefined limits. The results of suchchecks can, for example, enter into a regulation to ensure that a lengthchange of the interleaved sheets which is too pronounced is omitted.

Provision can be made in the apparatus in accordance with the inventionthat a multitrack output device which comprises a driven feed roll foreach track, which feed roll forms a feed gap for the material webtogether with a counter-unit, is provided for the ejection of thematerial webs into the cutting region and is controllable by means ofthe control device by an operation of the individual feed rollsindividually per track.

Such an output device enables an interleaver or underleaver operation onindividual tracks and is thus advantageously suitable to impact thematerial consumption in the individual tracks e.g. in that the timeperiod is changed during which the respective material web is ejectedinto the cutting region and/or in that the speed is changed at which therespective material web is ejected into the cutting region.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the control device isconfigured to carry out a regulation in which a regulation variablewhich is directly or indirectly dependent on residual quantities in thematerial stores is determined as an actual value and the length of theinterleaved sheets is changed for one or more material stores on adeviation of the actual value from a predefinable or predefined desiredvalue such that the actual value approximates the desired value.

Provision can be made in this respect that the regulation variable isbased on all the differences of a respective two residual quantities andis predefined or predefinable as the desired value such that all thedifferences within predefinable or predefined tolerances are zero.

A measurement device is preferably provided which is configured todetermine residual quantities in the material stores or the respectivealready consumed material quantities and to communicate them to thecontrol device. Reference is also made to the above statements on themethod in accordance with the invention with respect to possiblemeasurement variables for determining residual quantities in thematerial stores or already consumed material quantities.

A detection device can furthermore be provided which is configured todetect at least some portions which each comprise a plurality of sliceshaving interleaved sheets and thereupon to check whether the lengthchanges of the interleaved sheets are within predefinable or predefinedlimits. This can, for example, take place by means of a camera.

In general, the apparatus in accordance with the invention can beconfigured to be operated in accordance with a method in accordance withthe invention.

The invention will be described in the following by way of example withreference to the drawing. There are shown:

FIGS. 1-1C FIG. 1 shows, schematically, a side view of a slicer with aninterleaver in accordance with an embodiment of the invention and, FIGS.1A-1C illustrate three individual representations shown schematically;

FIGS. 2-4B schematically in each case, an embodiment of a feed unit ofan interleaver;

FIGS. 5A-5C schematically in each case, a plurality of portions eachcomprising a plurality of cut-off product slices and interleaved sheetsfor illustrating the effect of the invention; and

FIGS. 6A-6C schematically in each case, a plurality of portions eachcomprising a plurality of cut-off product slices and interleaved sheetsfor illustrating the effect of the invention.

The large representation in FIG. 1A shows a multitrack high-speedslicer, that is an apparatus for a multitrack slicing of food productssuch as sausage, meat or cheese, in a schematic side view which is notto scale.

In the embodiment shown, the slicer is operated on four tracks. Fourproducts 11 to be sliced are disposed next to one another on a productsupport 53 inclined to the horizontal. A product feed 49 comprises foreach track, that is for each of the four products 11, a product holder46, also called a product gripper, which holds the product 11 at therear end and supplies it in the supply direction indicated by the arrowto a cutting plane 50 which extends perpendicular to the product support53 and in which a cutting blade 51 moves by whose cutting edge thecutting plane 50 is defined.

The cutting blade 51 can be a so-called scythe-like blade or spiralblade which has a cutting edge extending in a scythe-like form or spiralform and which only rotates about a blade axis, not shown.Alternatively, the cutting blade 51 can be a so-called circular bladewhich has a circular cutting edge, which rotates about its own bladeaxis and which additionally revolves in a planetary motion about an axisextending offset in parallel from the blade axis in order to produce thecutting movement relative to the products 11 required to cut off slices13 from the products 11.

The product feed 49 can be operated individually per track, i.e. theproduct holders 46 can generally move independently of one another inthe supply direction and thus supply the individual products 11 to thecutting plane 50 at different speeds and with different speed profiles.This also applies if product support belts which are drivableindividually per track are used instead of a passive product support 53as the product feed 49 instead of the product holders 46 or in additionto the product holders 46. The slicing process can hereby beindividually controlled in each track independently of the respectiveother tracks, in particular with the aim of an exact weight productionof slices 13 or portions formed from a respective plurality of slices 13while taking into account the individual product properties such as inparticular weight distribution and cross-sectional profile.

It is also possible to stop the product holder 46 in a track or to moveit against the supply direction in order temporarily not to cut off anyslices 13 from the respective product 11 while the products 11 continueto be sliced in the other tracks. The product feed 49 on individualtracks can also take into account the cutting movement of the cuttingblade 51 which is characterized in that a respective slice 13 is indeedcut off from all the products 11 per cutting movement—that is perrevolution or rotation of the cutting blade 51—but this does not takeplace at the exact same time, the cut-off slices 13 of the products 11rather falling onto the support surface, formed by a so-calledportioning belt 55 here, consecutively in time due to the passage of thecutting blade 51 through the products 11 which requires a specificduration of time.

For many products 11, for example ham or some types of cheese, it isdesired for the respective slices 13 which are disposed above oneanother and, for example, form a stack-like portion or an overlappingportion to be separate from one another so that they can later beindividually removed more easily by a consumer from a package includingthe portion. In the field of high-speed slicers, this purpose is servedby so-called interleavers, that is apparatus for the provision ofweb-like interleaved sheet material, by means of which it is possible tointroduce interleaved sheets 15 between directly consecutive slices 13.

There are interleavers in different designs. In accordance with awidespread mode of operation, which is also provided for the interleaverin accordance with the invention shown here, the endless material webs19 are ejected in the region of the cutting plane 50 coming from belowin accordance with the clocking predefined by the cutting movement ofthe cutting blade 51. This takes place such that the front end of therespective material web 19 is disposed in front of the cut surface ofthe respective product 11 and, together with the slice 13 which is cutoff next, is cut off from the material web 19 by means of the cuttingblade 51 and thus forms an interleaved sheet 15. This interleaved sheetcomes to lie on the portioning belt 55 or on the previously cut-offslice 13 and beneath that slice 13 with which the interleaved sheet 15was previously cut off together.

The design and the mode of operation of such slicers and also the basicprinciple of an interleaver are sufficiently known to the skilled personso that it is not necessary to look at them in any more detail in thefollowing.

The interleaver in accordance with the invention which is integratedinto the slicer is of multitrack design and is configured tocontinuously provide the interleaved sheet material on individualtracks. The design and the mode of operation of the interleaver will beexplained in the following using the example of a four-track operation.The interleaver in accordance with the invention can, however, also beoperated on one track, on two tracks or on three tracks by acomparatively simple conversion. The respective operating mode is, forexample, dependent on the products to be sliced, on the conveying andsorting devices connected downstream and on the type of packaging or onthe packaging machine. The interleaver in accordance with the inventionis generally designed such that an operation with any desired number oftracks and consequently also with more than four tracks is possible.

For each of the four tracks S1, S2, S3 and S4, the provision of theinterleaved sheet material comprises the removal of the material from amaterial store formed by a material roll 17, the storage of material ina loop store 61, the guidance of the material in a region between theloop store 61 and an output device 71, and the outputting of thematerial by means of the output device 71.

For each track, the removal of the material web 19 from the materialroll 17 comprises the rolling off of the material web 19 by means of aroll-off drive 21 and the conveying of the material web 19 into the loopstore 61 by means of a conveying device 23 common to all the tracks. Theindividual roll-off drives 21 and the common conveying device 23 form aremoval device of the interleaver in accordance with the invention.

For each track, the storage of the material web 19 takes place by theformation of a material loop 20 in the loop store 61. The individualmaterial webs 19 or loops 20 are laterally guided by dividing walls (notshown) in the loop store 61 to ensure the accuracy of the material webs19 on the tracks.

In the embodiment shown, the total transport path for the material web19 between the loop store 61 and the output device 71 is formed by ashaft 111 in which the individual material webs 19 are guided. Such adesign is indeed possible in practice. However, further devices whichwill not be looked at in any more detail at this point are preferablyprovided between the loop store 61 and the output device 71 in additionto a purely guidance section such as is formed by the shaft 111 in FIG.1.

The outputting of the individual material webs 19 respectively comprisesthe removal of the material web 19 from the loop store 61 and theejection of the material web 19 into the cutting region, that is beforethe cut surface of the respective product 11, as explained above. Thematerial web 19 is pulled from the loop store 61 on the removal. Thematerial web 19 is in this respect simultaneously advanced into thecutting region and is thus ejected.

These individual regions of the interleaver in accordance with theinvention, that is the removal device comprising the individual roll-offdrives 21 and the common conveying device 23, the loop store 61 and theoutput device 71, will be described in more detail in the following. Ifnot otherwise stated, the respective description of the function anddesign applies to each of the individual tracks.

The interplay of these individual functional units of the interleaverwith one another and also the interplay of the interleaver with thefunctional units of the slicer, in particular—but not exclusively—withthe cutting blade 51 and with the product feed 49, is controlled by acontrol device 39 which can be the central control device of the slicerand thus a control device which is external with respect to theinterleaver. Alternatively, the interleaver can have an internal controldevice which cooperates with a control device of the slicer.

Furthermore, the interleaver can additionally receive external signalse.g. from a camera system which monitors the portions produced by meansof the slicer or the portion formation from the cut-off slices.

The material rolls 17 of the individual tracks are rotatably supportedabout a common axis of rotation 33 defined by a common mandrel. Eachmaterial roll 17 comprises a roll core 113 at which the material web 19is wound. The material rolls 17 are freely rotatable at the mandrel tothe extent that the rotational drive for the material rolls 17 for therolling off of the material webs 19 does not takes place via this commonmandrel.

Instead, a separate roll-off drive 21 is provided for each material roll17. Each roll-off drive 21 comprises a drive arm 27 pivotable about apivot axis 28. Each drive arm 27 comprises a support, not shown, towhose one end a drive roller 30 is attached and to whose other end adeflection roller 32 is attached. An endless belt 25 revolving aroundthe drive roller 30 and the deflection roller 32 serves as a drivemember for the material roll 17; it is configured as a friction belt andserves to cooperate in a force-transmitting manner with the woundmaterial web 19 of the material roll 17 via the turn facing the materialroll 17.

As is also shown in the schematic representation in FIG. 1B, each driveroller 30 is rotationally fixedly connected to a drive shaft 31 whichcan be set into rotation by means of a drive motor M via a drive belt 24in order to drive the friction belt 25 and to roll the material web 19off from the material roll 17 in this manner.

Since the four tracks 51, S2, S3 and S4 of the interleaver extend inparallel and four material rolls 17 are thus also seated next to oneanother on the common mandrel, the four drive arms 27 are accordinglyarranged offset from one another in the transverse direction. This isindicated in the schematic representation in FIG. 1B by the associationof the tracks 51 to S4 with the individual drive rollers 30 of the drivearms 27.

The spatial arrangement of the drive arms 27 and the manner of therotational drive for the drive rollers 30 are particularly advantageous.The axes of rotation 29 of the drive shafts 31 and thus of the driverollers 30 each coincide with the pivot axis 28 of the respective drivearm 27. In this respect, a single common pivot axis 28 is not providedfor all the drive arms 27. Instead, the drive arms 27 are combinedpair-wise, wherein a common pivot axis is provided for each pair. Twodrive arms 27 pivotable about an upper pivot axis 28 are in this respectassociated with the tracks 51 and S3, whereas two drive arms 27 whichare pivotable about an lower pivot axis 28 are associated with thetracks S2 and S4.

In the embodiment shown, all the drive arms 27 have the same length andthe upper pivot axis 28 and the lower pivot axis 28 are disposed at acircular cylinder about the common axis of rotation 33 of the materialrolls 17. Alternatively, the drive arms 27 can be of different lengthsand the pivot axes 28 can be arranged in a different manner.

A respective coaxial shaft drive 35 or 37 is provided for both the upperpair of drive arms 27 and the lower pair of drive arms 27. The two drivemotors M1 and M3 belong to the upper coaxial shaft drive 35, whereas thelower coaxial shaft drive 37 comprises the two drive motors M4 and M2. Amotor M3 or M4 respectively is connected to an inner drive shaft 31 forthe drive roller 30 which is disposed further away axially, whereas therespective other motor M1 or M2 is connected to a hollow shaft 31 whichsurrounds the inner drive shaft 31 and on which the more closelydisposed drive roller 30 is seated.

As already mentioned, the drive motors M1 to M4 are not directlyconnected to the drive shafts 31, but rather via drive belts 24. Thisenables a displaced or an offset positioning of the motors andconsequently an ideal use of the space available in the interleaver.Furthermore, the interleaver can hereby be designed comparatively narrowsince the motors M1 to M4 respectively do not need to be positioned inthe axial extension of the drive shafts 31.

A further advantage of this drive concept comprises all of the motors M1to M4, including the drive belts 24, only being arranged at one side ofthe interleaver. This region is therefore more easily accessible via theother side of the interleaver. It is particularly advantageous that allthe drive rollers 30, and thus the drive arms 27, can be plugged ontothe respective drive shaft 31 and can be removed from it from the sameside—namely starting from the “preferred” operating side. This not onlyfacilitates cleaning and servicing, but also enables a simple and fastconversion, for example, when a slicer and interleaver operation shouldbe converted to a different number of tracks.

These advantages also apply to the arrangement of the material rolls 17which can all be plugged onto the common mandrel and can be removed fromit from the same side—and indeed from the same side as the roll-offdrives 21. It is therefore sufficient if the functional regions of theinterleaver are only accessible from one side.

A pivot drive, not shown, is additionally provided for each drive arm27. The pivot drive can, for example, comprise a piston-in-cylinderarrangement. The drive arms 27 can hereby each be pivoted into a passivestate in which the friction belt 25 is out of frictional engagement withthe material roll 71. This passive state can, for example, be a parkedposition into which the drive arms 27 are pivoted when new materialrolls 17 are to be inserted.

The fact that in accordance with the invention the respective frictionbelt 25 of the roll-off drives 21 engages in a force-transmitting mannerat the outer periphery of the material roll 17 to roll off the materialweb 19 has the advantage that the roll-off rate, i.e. the web lengthrolled off per time unit, is independent of the current diameter of thematerial roll 17 and thus of its degree of consumption. Theabove-mentioned pivot drives (not shown) can each pretension the drivearm 27 in the direction of the axis of rotation 33 of the material roll17 with a predefined force or with a predefined torque such that thedrive arm 27 is adjusted to track the diameter of the material roll 17,which decreases during operation, and the frictional engagement betweenthe friction belt 25 and the wound material web 19 is always of the samemagnitude.

A material roll 17 which is almost consumed and whose diameter is only alittle larger than the diameter of the roll core 113 is shown by adashed circle. An upper drive arm 27 and a lower drive arm 27 are shownby a dashed line to illustrate a state pivoted correspondingly far inthe direction of the axis of rotation 33 of the material rolls 17.

The operation of the roll-off drives 21 depends on demands of thecentral control device 39. If less material or temporarily no materialis required in a track, the roll-off rate of the respective track can becorrespondingly changed by reducing the revolution speed of the frictionbelt 25 or by switching off the drive motor M. In a non-driving statewith the drive motor M switched off, the frictional belt 25 of therespective drive arm 27 remains in frictional engagement with the woundmaterial web 19; it is therefore not, for instance, pivoted out ofengagement with the material roll 17 by means of the above-mentionedpivot drive (not shown). This has the advantage that the frictional belt25 is active as a brake for the material roll 17, whereby a furtherrotation of the material roll 17 caused by inertia is prevented.

The removal of the material webs 19 from the material rolls 17 not onlycomprises the rolling off by means of the above-explained roll-offdrives 21, but also the conveying of the material webs 19 into the loopstore 61. For this purpose, the removal device comprises a conveyingdevice 23 which is additionally shown schematically in FIG. 1A.

The conveying device 23 comprises a conveying roller 47 for each trackS1 to S4, said conveying roller forming a conveying gap for therespective material web 19 together with a counter-roller 48. All of theconveying rollers 47 are seated on a common drive shaft 45, that is theyare only driven together, and indeed via a common drive motor 41 whichsets the common drive shaft 45 of the conveying rollers 47 into rotationvia a drive belt 42.

The operation of this conveying device 23 individually per track isachieved in that a slip clutch 43 which is arranged between theconveying roller 47 and the common drive shaft 31 is associated witheach conveying roller 47. The slip clutches 43 are each magneticclutches whose switching points can be set.

The conveying device 23 is operated via the control device 39 such thatthe material webs 19 are each always held under tension between therespective material roll 17 and the respective conveying roller 47.During operation, the common drive shaft 45 can rotate at a constantrotational speed which is coordinated with an expected operation of theinterleaver for the respective cutting program of the slicer. If theroll-off drive 21 is stopped in a track or if the roll-off rate isreduced in a track, an active intervention in the operation of theconveying device 23 is not required since a roll-off rate in a trackthat falls below the conveying rate of the conveying device 23 is takenup by the clutch 43 of this track without the respective material web 19being excessively strained or even tearing.

An advantage of this concept comprises the conveying device 23 onlyrequiring a single drive comprising a drive motor 41 and a drive belt 42and only requiring a single common drive shaft 45 for all the tracks S1to S4 and no design or technical control measures being necessary toimplement an active operation of the conveying device 23 individuallyper track.

If the clutch 43 is not currently active in one of the tracks andtemporarily no material is thus conveyed into the loop store 61 in thistrack, the conveying rate of the conveying device 23 determines the weblength entering the loop store 61 per time unit in each track. Since theoperation of the individual roll-off drives 21 which is controlled viathe control device 39 ultimately decides whether and how much materialis rolled off from the respective material roll 17 per time unit in theindividual tracks, the individual conveying rates into the loop store 61are ultimately determined by the individual roll-off rates.

The track-specific material requirement in the cutting region isdetermined by the control device 39 and is ensured by a correspondingtrack-specific control of the roll-off drives 21. The loop store 61ensures a decoupling in each track between the sluggish material roll17, on the one hand, and the highly dynamic output device 71, on theother hand, which, in the cycle of the cutting blade 51, has to output aweb length corresponding to the length of the respective requiredinterleaved sheet 15, in each case on short notice. Such a highlydynamic cyclic ejection of relatively long material sections would beincompatible with a pulling off of the material web 19 directly from thematerial roll 17.

The control device 39 therefore ensures that a web length which issufficiently large for a disruption-free output operation of the outputdevice 71 is available in the loop store 61 in each track at all timesin that a material loop 20 which is always sufficiently large isprovided in the loop store 61.

The formation and maintenance of these material loops 20 in theindividual tracks is achieved by a sufficiently large “replenishment” bymeans of the removal device, that is by means of the roll-off drives 21and the conveying device 23, on the one hand, and by an air circuitcomprising a combined suction and blowing device 63, 65, on the otherhand.

The suction side of a fan 64 belonging to this combined suction andblowing device 63, 65 is connected via a suction line 66 to a vacuumhousing 68 in which a plurality of vacuum chambers 69 are formed whichare separate from one another in a technical flow aspect within thehousing 68. The pressure in each vacuum chamber 69 can be measured bymeans of sensors, not shown, and can be provided to the control device39.

The housing 68 is bounded toward a loop region of the loop store 61 by acurved contact surface 67 in which openings are formed via which air canmove from the loop region into the individual vacuum chambers 69, suchas is indicated by the small arrows. The vacuum chambers 69 are eachconnected to the suction line 66 and thus to the suction side of the fan64 whose pressure side is directed into the loop region, such as isindicated by the arrow in FIG. 1.

This air circuit has the effect that a designated material loop 20 isalways formed and that the material web 19 contacts the contact surface67 of the vacuum housing 68 in the designated manner. Since the materialweb 19 is sucked toward the contact surface 67 due to the vacuum presentin the vacuum chambers 69, the contact surface 67 simultaneously servesas a brake for the material webs 19. The material webs 19 are herebyalways held under a light tension, whereby the material webs 19 areprevented from compressing when the output device 71 which works in thecutting cycle pulls the material webs 19 out of the loop store 61 in ahighly dynamic manner. The braking effect of the contact surface 67 orof the vacuum chambers 69 is in this respect set such that this highlydynamic removal process is not impaired.

The control device 39 can recognize by means of the mentioned pressuresensors in the vacuum chambers 69 which vacuum chamber 69 is covered bythe material web 19 and which is not. A measure for the current size ofthe material loop 20 in the loop region of the loop store 61 can bederived from this information in a simple manner with sufficientaccuracy. The material web 19 drawn as a dashed line is shown with amaximum loop size in FIG. 1. The extent of the material web 19 with aminimal loop size, in which only the uppermost vacuum chamber 69 ispartly covered by the material web 19, is indicated by a dotted line.

The control 39 can activate or deactivate the individual roll-off drives21 individually per track in accordance with the individual loop sizesdetermined in this manner or it can change the individual roll-off ratesby a corresponding control of the motors M1 to M4 to ensure that asufficiently large material loop 20 is present for each track at alltimes to maintain the above-explained decoupling between the respectivetrack of the output device 71 and the associated material roll 17.

The output device 71 is likewise configured for an operationindividually per track. For this purpose, a feed unit 73 comprises afeed roll 74 for each of the tracks S1 to S4, as will be explained inmore detail in the following with reference to two possible embodimentsin accordance with FIGS. 2 and 3. The feed rolls 74 have a common axisof rotation 99, wherein a separate drive motor A1, A2, A3 or A4 isprovided for each feed roll 74 and cooperates via a drive belt 78 with adrive shaft 83 (cf. FIG. 2) to which the respective feed roll 74 isrotationally fixedly connected.

As FIG. 2 shows, the two feed rolls 74 for the tracks S1 and S2 aredriven via a right coaxial shaft drive 79, whereas a left coaxial shaftdrive 81 drives the two feed rolls 74 of the other two tracks S3 and S4.The respective inwardly disposed feed roll 74 is driven via an inwardlydisposed drive shaft 83, whereas the respective outwardly disposed feedroll 74 is driven via a hollow shaft 83 surrounding the inwardlydisposed drive shaft 83.

In this manner, a drive individually per track of four feed rolls 74arranged next to one another at a common axis of rotation 99 can beimplemented for the feed unit 73 of the output device 71.

An alternative design for a four-track drive comprising fourindividually drivable feed rolls 74 is schematically shown in FIG. 3.Two axes of rotation 91 which extend in parallel are provided here,wherein a respective two two-track units 95 are arranged next to oneanother at each of the two axes 91. Each two-track unit 95 comprises afeed roll 74 and a pressing roller 76 which are rotationally fixedlyconnected to one another and which can, for example, be formed in onepiece with one another. Each feed roll 74 cooperates directly with arespective material web 19, whereas the co-rotating pressing roller 76is provided with a freewheeling function with respect to the materialweb 19 in its track. The freewheeling function is implemented in thatthe pressing roller 76 supports a freely rotatable pressing sleeve 98for the material web 19 via a rolling element bearing 97.

A feed roll 74 at the one axis 91 and a pressing unit comprising thepressing roller 76 and the pressing sleeve 98 at the other axis 91therefore form a pair 98 for each of the tracks S1 to S4, said pairforming a feed gap for the respective material web 19.

Each two-track unit 95 can, for example, be rotated about the respectiveaxis 91 via a drive belt, not shown, by means of an associated drivemotor (not shown), wherein the two axes 91 are driven with an oppositerotational sense. Adjacent two-track units 95 at a common axis 91 arerotatable relative to one another. For this purpose, a respective axialextension of a pressing roller 76 engages into an end-face depression ofthe adjacent feed roll 74 at which the extension of the pressing roller76 is supported in the radial direction by a rolling element bearing 96.

Due to this arrangement, a feed individually per track for four tracksS1 to S4 disposed next to one another is implemented as a particularlycompact unit into which the counter-units or pressing units 76, 98associated with the individual feed rolls 74 are integrated. A divisioninto a feed unit, on the one hand, and into a counter-unit, on the otherhand, as in the embodiment in accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2, isconsequently not provided here.

As FIGS. 1 and 10 show, in the embodiment shown here, a counter-unit 75is provided in addition to the feed unit 73 comprising the four feedrolls 74 which can be driven individually per track. The counter-unit 75can have at least one associated pressing roller 76 for each feed roll74, which pressing roller is supported in an elastic or a resilientmanner such as is indicated schematically in FIG. 1 by the suspension 77and is indicated schematically in FIG. 4A by a piston-in-cylinderarrangement 109 configured as a suspension.

Alternatively, the counter-unit 75 can have a plurality ofcounter-elements arranged distributed along an axis extending inparallel with the axis of rotation 99 of the feed rolls 74, inparticular counter-elements in the form of individually resilientlysupported pressing rolls or pressing rollers each having a diameterwhich is small with respect to the feed rolls 74. These counter-elementswhich are not driven form a feed gap for one of the material webs 19with each of the feed rolls 74. Such counter-units or pressing units foroutput devices of interleavers are generally known so that it is notnecessary to look at them in more detail.

As the representation in FIG. 10 shows schematically, it is a specialfeature of the output device 71 that the feed unit 73 and thecounter-unit 75 are attached to a stationary mount 70, fastened to amachine frame 115 of the slicer, together with a cutting edge 85 whichis also called cutting glasses, a molded tray or a counter-blade.

The mount 70 and the components counter-unit 75, feed unit 73 andcutting edge 85 are configured corresponding to one another such thatthese components can only be mounted at the mount 70, without tools, ina single order.

In this respect, the counter-unit 75 is first arranged at the mount 70.The counter-unit 75 is fixed and secured in its desired position by asubsequent attachment of the feed unit 73. The attachment of the feedunit 73 requires a combined turn-pivot movement into an end positionwhich—as indicated by the arrow in the large representation of FIG.1—has the consequence that, on the attachment of the feed unit 73, allthe drive belts 78 of the drive motors A1 to A4 are simultaneouslytensioned which were previously, in the relaxed state, placed around thedrive shafts 83 of the feed rolls 74 projecting at both sides.Accordingly, the drive belts 78 are automatically relaxed on the removalof the feed unit 73.

Finally, the cutting edge 85 is attached to the mount 70. The cuttingedge 85 in turn positions and secures the feed unit 73 in its desiredposition. A clamping device 117 comprising two clamping pins 117 whichare pneumatically adjustable relative to the mount 70—as indicated bythe two double arrows—positions and subsequently secures the cuttingedge 85 and thus all three components counter-unit 75, feed unit 73 andcutting edge 85 at the mount 70.

The mount 70 can furthermore serve for the attachment of furtherdevices. Thus it may e.g. be necessary in practice to set the so-calledcutting gap between the cutting blade 51 and the cutting edge 85 to aspecific value. In this connection, sensors such as vibration sensorscan be used which can be attached to the mount 70 or integrated into themount 70.

A simple and reliable assembly and dismantling of the three namedcomponents without tools is implemented in this manner.

A query can additionally take place by the control device 39 by means ofthe clamping pins 117 and it can be recognized whether a cutting edge 85is present at all and whether—in dependence on the respective setcutting program—the correct cutting edge 85 has been mounted. When acutting edge 85 is missing, the clamping pins 117, for example, extendfurther than when the correct cutting edge 85 is present—this incorrectpositioning of the clamping pins 117 can be recognized by the controldevice 39.

As already explained above, the ejection of the material web 19 by meansof the output device 71 takes place such that the front end of thematerial web 19 is disposed in front of the cut surface of therespective product 11 so that it can be cut off from the material web 19by means of the cutting blade 51 together with the slice 13 to be cutoff next and can thus form an interleaved sheet 15.

To influence the front end of the material web 19 in this sense, avacuum is generated by means of an air flow in the region between thematerial web 19 and the cut surface of the product 11 and has the effectthat the front end of the material web 19 is placed against the cutsurface. This concept is generally known. The air flow can e.g. begenerated in that compressed air is ejected via a gap extendingtransversely to the material web 19 or via a plurality of openingsarranged distributed in the transverse direction.

As FIGS. 4A and 4B show, in accordance with the invention, anindividually variable air flow 87 is generated for each of the tracks S1to S4 via the feed unit 73 such that the free ends of the individualmaterial webs 19 can be influenced individually per track. Theindividual air flows 87 can be varied individually per track in a timeregard and with respect to their strength.

This is achieved in that, for each track S1 to S4, a plurality of outletopenings are arranged distributed transversely to the respectivematerial web 19 in the front region of the feed unit 73 above the outletgap for the individual material webs 19 which is formed by the feed unit73 and by the counter-unit 75.

Each outlet opening belongs to an outlet passage 101 formed in the feedunit 73, with all the outlet passages 101 starting from a commondistributor space 103 which is in communication with a compressed airsource, not shown, via an inlet passage 105 and via a supply line 107.Each supply line 107 is provided with a controllable valve 108. Thevalves 108 can be controlled individually per track via an adjustmentdevice 89.

The time behavior and the strength of the respective air flow 87 canhereby be varied for each of the tracks S1 to S4 independently of therespective other tracks.

The rail 72 also shown in FIG. 4A is a replaceable wear part whichpreferably comprises plastic and which serves as a cutting edge whichcooperates with the cutting blade 51 on the cutting through of theindividual material webs 19.

The interleaver can be configured to automatically connect consecutivematerial webs 19 to one another in each of the individual tracks S1 toS4. In FIG. 1, possible positions are schematically shown at which aconnection device V integrated into the interleaver can be arranged.

A change device which is configured to automatically replace arespective used material roll 17 with a material roll 17 to be used isnot shown in FIG. 1. The change device can be arranged outside theinterleaver or can at least partly be integrated into the interleaver. Aseparate change device can be provided for each of the tracks S1 to S4.Alternatively, a plurality of tracks or all the tracks can have a commonchange device.

A multitrack design of the interleaver can also be implemented in that acommon rotatably supported material roll 17 is provided for a pluralityof tracks S, with a device T for dividing the material web 19 into aplurality of individual material webs 19 being provided for the materialweb 19 of this common material roll 17. A possible position at whichsuch a division device T integrated into the interleaver can be arrangedis schematically indicated in FIG. 1. Only one roll-off drive 21 is thenprovided for these tracks S, i.e. for the respective material roll 17.

In this respect, it is e.g. possible that a four-track interleaver isimplemented in that two material rolls 17 are provided with which aroll-off drive 21 and a division device T are respectively associated,i.e. from whose material web 19 a respective two individual materialwebs 19 arise such that four individual material webs 19 move to thedevices arranged downstream of the division devices T, such as in thecase that a separate material roll 17, and no division device T, isprovided for each track S.

Different combinations are conceivable. For example, in a four-trackinterleaver, a respective separate material roll can e.g. be providedfor two tracks and a common material roll and a division device can beprovided for two further tracks.

A handling of the individual material webs 19 individually per track ina continuous manner is consequently possible in the interleaver inaccordance with the invention such that the interleaver can be operatedby means of the control device 39 in dependence on the cutting processin such a manner that the interleaver operation on individual tracks canbe perfectly coordinated with the cutting operation on individualtracks.

It must also be mentioned for reasons of completeness that aninterleaver configured on one track or temporarily operated on one trackcan have a roll-off drive, such as is respectively described above forone of the tracks S1 to S4.

In FIGS. 5A-5C and 6A-6C, a portion is schematically shown in therespective representations A, B and C and comprises a plurality ofslices 13 which are arranged above one another and between whichinterleaved sheets 15 are located. The portions are each still disposedon the portioning belt 55 onto which the cut-off slices 13 fall afterone another during the slicing and by means of which the portions areeach moved out of the cutting region in the transporting-away directionindicated by the arrow after their completion.

The representations A each show the prior art in which all theinterleaved sheets 15 have the same normal length. The size of thenormal length is fixed by the operator of the slicer in dependence onthe respective application, in particular in dependence on the extent ofthe product slices in the ejection direction of the interleaved sheetmaterial, prior to the start of the slicing operation and is not changedduring the cutting operation.

Such portions can be produced by means of a high-speed slicer having aninterleaver such as has, for example, been described above in connectionwith FIGS. 1 to 4B. This slicer is furthermore configured to change thelength of the interleaved sheets 15 with respect to the normal lengthduring operation in the manner in accordance with the invention. FIGS.5A-5C and FIGS. 6A-6C show different possibilities of how such a lengthchange can take place in the respective representations B and C.

In accordance with the representation B in FIG. 5B, the length of theinterleaved sheets 15 is reduced within the portion starting from thenormal length, wherein the reduced length is the same for the three lastintroduced interleaved sheets 15 of the portion. In this respect, thenormal length was reduced such that the ends of the interleaved sheets15 which are at the front in the ejection direction are each disposedbetween the respective slices 13 and thus do not project to the frontfrom the portion.

In the representation C in FIG. 5C, the reverse case is shown in whichthe length of the interleaved sheets 15 is increased within the portionstarting from the normal length. All the interleaved sheets 15consequently project to the front from the portion here.

As the comparison of the three representations A, B and C shows, therear overhang a of the interleaved sheets 15 is always the same size andis not affected by the change in accordance with the invention in thelength of the interleaved sheets 15 in accordance with therepresentations B and C. As already initially mentioned, such asituation automatically results when the interleaved sheets 15 are cutoff from the provided interleaved sheet material in the cutting regionby means of the cutting blade which also cuts off the respective slices13 from the products.

This also applies to the variants shown in the representations B and Cof FIGS. 6B and 6C. The representation A in FIG. 6A is identical to therepresentation A in FIG. 5A. Provision is in particular made in thisrespect that the respective outlet of the interleaved sheet material islocated slightly below the support plane in the cutting region, saidsupport plane being defined by a support surface for the slices 13. Thesupport surface can e.g. be provided by a portioning belt 55 such asshown by FIGS. 5A to 5C and FIGS. 6A to 6C and also FIG. 1.

Unlike in FIGS. 5B and 5C, the reduced (representation B) or theenlarged (representation C) length of the interleaved sheets is constantwithin the respective portion in the variants in accordance with therepresentations B and C in FIGS. 6B and 6C. A constant interleaved sheetlength within a portion can represent the preferred design for manyapplications due to the particularly uniform appearance.

Against this background, a constant interleaved sheet length is notimportant when the interleaved sheet length is anyway reduced withrespect to the normal length such that even an interleaved sheet 15having a length which is a maximum length within the framework of theimpact on the consumption does not project to the front from theportion.

The advantage of the invention generally comprises the materialconsumption being able to be impacted such that the material stores areconsumed uniformly or such that it can at least be achieved that atleast approximately the same residual quantity is respectively presentin all the material stores at a specific time.

In this respect, it is not compulsory for the material stores to onlyhave the same residual quantity state when the material stores have moreor less been completely consumed and the residual quantities are thuseach approximately zero. A residual quantity of the same size in all thematerial stores is also of advantage when the residual quantity differsfrom zero, that is a material web having a relevant length isrespectively still present in the material stores. Material storeshaving such residual quantities can, for example, be removed togetherand can be stored for a later application in which a comparatively smallbatch of products should be sliced and consequently relatively littlematerial is required.

Overall, work interruptions and time losses due to isolated storefilling processes, such as material roll replacement processes, can beminimized by the invention. In particular with respect to the totalslicing line, its operation can hereby be planned better in advance. Theproduct throughput of the slicing line can in this respect be increasedwithout losses at another position.

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST

-   11 product-   13 slice-   15 interleaved sheet-   17 material roll-   19 material web-   20 loop-   21 roll-off drive-   23 conveying device-   24 drive belt-   25 friction belt, drive member-   27 drive arm-   28 pivot axis-   29 axis of rotation of the drive shafts-   30 drive roller-   31 drive shaft-   32 deflection roller-   33 axis of rotation of the material rolls-   35 upper coaxial shaft drive-   37 lower coaxial shaft drive-   39 control device-   41 drive of the conveying device-   42 drive belt-   43 clutch-   45 drive shaft-   46 product holder-   47 conveying roller-   48 counter-roller-   49 product feed-   50 cutting plane-   51 cutting blade-   53 product support-   55 portioning belt-   61 loop store-   63 suction device, brake-   64 fan-   65 blowing device-   66 suction line-   67 contact surface-   68 housing-   69 vacuum chamber-   70 mount-   71 output device-   72 rail-   73 feed unit-   74 feed roll-   75 counter-unit-   76 pressing roller-   77 suspension-   78 drive belt-   79 right coaxial shaft drive-   81 left coaxial shaft drive-   83 drive shaft-   85 cutting edge-   87 compressed air flow-   89 adjustment device-   91 common axis-   93 pair-   95 two-track unit-   96 rolling element bearing-   97 rolling element bearing-   98 pressing sleeve-   99 common axis of rotation-   101 outlet passage-   103 distributor space-   105 inlet passage-   107 supply line-   108 valve-   109 piston-in-cylinder arrangement-   111 shaft-   113 roll core-   115 machine frame-   117 clamping pin-   S track-   M drive motor of the roll-off drive-   A drive motor for the feed roll-   V connection device-   T division device

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for a multitrack provision ofweb-like interleaved sheet material at a cutting region, the interleavedsheet material being ejected into the cutting region in an ejectiondirection; wherein products are conveyed on multiple tracks into thecutting region and cut into slices in the cutting region; whereininterleaved sheets are introduced under a slice or between two slices,the interleaved sheets being cut off from the provided interleaved sheetmaterial in the cutting region; and wherein a normal length of theinterleaved sheets in the ejection direction is predefined, the normallength being fixed during the cutting operation, the method comprising:removing the interleaved sheet material from at least two materialstores, each of the at least two material stores being assigned to atleast one of the multiple tracks; cutting off the interleaved sheets,each of the interleaved sheets having a respective actual length in theejection direction; and impacting the material consumption of at leastone of the material stores by cutting off the interleaved sheets havingthe respective actual length that is varied with respect to the normallength.
 2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the materialconsumption of the at least one material store is impacted during thecutting operation in dependence on residual quantities in the materialstores.
 3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the materialwebs are ejected into the cutting region during an ejection time period,wherein the respective actual lengths of the interleaved sheets arevaried by changing a duration of the ejection time period and/or bychanging the speed at which the respective material web is ejected intothe cutting region.
 4. The method in accordance with claim 1, whereinthe actual lengths of the interleaved sheets are varied to the extentthat residual quantities in the material stores are at leastapproximately the same size at all times or at the latest when thematerial stores have at least largely been consumed or when a predefinedor predefinable value for the residual quantities has been reached orwhen a predefined or predefinable condition relating to the cuttingoperation has been satisfied.
 5. The method in accordance with claim 1,wherein actual the lengths of the interleaved sheets are varied suchthat a size of a residual quantity in a first of the at least twomaterial stores approaches a size of a residual quantity in a second ofthe at least two material stores.
 6. The method in accordance with claim1, wherein the actual lengths of the interleaved sheets are varied intime during the cutting operation.
 7. The method in accordance withclaim 1, wherein portions comprising a plurality of slices withinterleaved sheets are built, wherein the interleaved sheets of arespective portion are cut off with equal respective actual lengths. 8.The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the respective actuallengths of interleaved sheets having a respective actual length that isvaried with respect to the normal length are smaller than the normallength.
 9. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the materialconsumption of the at least one material store is impacted by cuttingoff further interleaved sheets with a respective actual length that isincreased with respect to the normal length in the at least one assignedtrack; while the material consumption of at least one other of the atleast two material stores is kept constant by cutting off furtherinterleaved sheets with respective actual lengths that are equal to thenormal length in the at least one assigned track, or while the materialconsumption of the at least one other of the at least two materialstores is impacted by cutting off further interleaved sheets withrespective actual lengths that are reduced with respect to the normallength.
 10. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the actuallengths of the interleaved sheets are reduced such that the front end ofat least one interleaved sheet or of some interleaved sheets is disposedbetween the respective directly adjacent slices.
 11. The method inaccordance with claim 1, wherein residual quantities in the materialstores are determined by means of a measurement device and arecommunicated to a control device.
 12. The method in accordance withclaim 1, wherein the respective diameter of a material roll forming thematerial store is measured as a measure for residual quantities in thematerial stores.
 13. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein therespective weight of the material store is measured as a measure forresidual quantities in the material stores.
 14. The method in accordancewith claim 1, wherein the respective length of the material web whichpassed through a measurement point arranged downstream of the materialstore is measured as a measure for residual quantities in the materialstores.
 15. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein a measure fora size of residual quantities in the material stores is determined. 16.The method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the number ofrevolutions of at least one component or the power consumption of aremoval device which removes the material web from the material store,is measured as the measure for residual quantities in the materialstores.
 17. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least someportions which each comprise a plurality of slices having interleavedsheets are checked as to whether the length changes of the interleavedsheets are within predefinable or predefined limits.